Next club night: Monday 7 September, 7.30pm — with the AGMMondays 7.30pm at Tunbridge Wells Bridge Club

UK chess statisticsMerseyside

Chess in Merseyside

695 players held an ECF over-the-board rating with a Merseyside club in August 2026 — the 14th largest county association in England. Figures from the ECF rating-list dataset maintained by Tunbridge Wells Chess Club.

Rated players

695

August 2026

Growth since June 2022

+78%

Constant definition

Before the boom

328

July 2019 list (approximate — see methodology)

Active clubs

27

Clubs with at least one rated player

Rated players with Merseyside clubs, 1994–2026
Rated players with Merseyside clubs, 1994–2026. The same figures follow in the data table below the chart.020040060080019982004201020162022New rating systemPost-covid rating purge695
View the figures as a table
DateRated players
July 1994346
July 1995299
July 1996329
July 1997331
July 1998312
July 1999258
July 2000290
July 2001287
July 2002287
July 2003290
July 2004281
July 2005278
July 2006275
July 2007269
July 2008262
July 2009251
July 2010257
July 2011266
January 2012267
July 2012276
January 2013286
July 2013271
January 2014277
July 2014276
January 2015294
July 2015292
January 2016308
July 2016296
January 2017312
July 2017313
January 2018322
July 2018318
January 2019324
July 2019328
January 2020317
July 2020475
August 2020475
September 2020475
October 2020475
November 2020475
December 2020475
January 2021475
February 2021475
March 2021475
April 2021475
May 2021475
June 2021475
July 2021475
August 2021480
September 2021494
October 2021511
November 2021511
December 2021515
January 2022522
February 2022528
March 2022540
April 2022561
May 2022568
June 2022390
July 2022386
August 2022386
September 2022384
October 2022403
November 2022414
December 2022414
January 2023414
February 2023417
March 2023397
April 2023368
May 2023379
June 2023383
July 2023408
August 2023409
September 2023409
October 2023456
November 2023488
December 2023555
January 2024560
February 2024580
March 2024585
April 2024591
May 2024597
June 2024603
July 2024604
August 2024607
September 2024608
October 2024635
November 2024644
December 2024650
January 2025652
February 2025655
March 2025660
April 2025647
May 2025649
June 2025652
July 2025655
August 2025654
September 2025660
October 2025676
November 2025679
December 2025676
January 2026675
February 2026695
March 2026699
April 2026705
May 2026702
June 2026708
July 2026695
August 2026695

County attribution uses each player's latest-known club, so the early decades understate clubs that have since closed — recent years are exact, the far left of the chart is indicative. The two marked breaks are changes in the national list definition, not local events. Full caveats on the methodology.

Merseyside clubs fielding rated players
Merseyside clubs fielding rated players. The same figures follow in the data table below the chart.0102030401998200420102016202227
View the figures as a table
DateActive clubs
July 199432
July 199525
July 199626
July 199726
July 199823
July 199920
July 200023
July 200123
July 200220
July 200320
July 200419
July 200520
July 200617
July 200717
July 200817
July 200914
July 201016
July 201115
January 201216
July 201216
January 201316
July 201316
January 201416
July 201415
January 201516
July 201518
January 201618
July 201617
January 201719
July 201718
January 201817
July 201816
January 201915
July 201916
January 202015
July 202021
August 202021
September 202021
October 202021
November 202021
December 202021
January 202121
February 202121
March 202121
April 202121
May 202121
June 202121
July 202121
August 202121
September 202121
October 202121
November 202121
December 202121
January 202221
February 202221
March 202221
April 202221
May 202221
June 202217
July 202217
August 202217
September 202217
October 202217
November 202217
December 202217
January 202317
February 202317
March 202317
April 202316
May 202317
June 202317
July 202318
August 202318
September 202318
October 202319
November 202320
December 202323
January 202423
February 202425
March 202425
April 202425
May 202425
June 202425
July 202425
August 202425
September 202425
October 202425
November 202425
December 202425
January 202525
February 202525
March 202525
April 202525
May 202525
June 202525
July 202525
August 202525
September 202525
October 202525
November 202525
December 202525
January 202625
February 202626
March 202626
April 202626
May 202626
June 202627
July 202627
August 202627

Merseyside, club by club

Every Merseyside club with rated players on the current list, including school and junior organisations, with their July 2019 and June 2022 figures for the before-and-after. The ECF rating list records one club per player, so players who turn out for more than one club are counted once, at their listed club.

ClubJul 2019Jun 2022August 2026
Wallasey5668136
Liverpool69100134
Atticus394584
Southport211950
Aigburth273033
Hoylake243130
Ormskirk152024
Formby192122
North Liverpool Academy——20
Merchant Taylors School13419
Prescot & Knotty Ash181819
Gateacre School——17
St Margaret's Academy——16
Waterloo171716
John Littlewood1214
St Bridget's C Of E Primary School——11
Bluecoat School Liverpool119
Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School——9
St John the Evangelist, Walton129
Calday Grange Grammar School——6
Notre Dame Catholic Colledge Merseyside226
Ladymount114
Dawpool School772
Merseyside Juniors472
Fazakerley221
Huyton551
Sacred Heart Primary School Liverpool161

← All counties and the national picture